The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology is a free, peer-reviewed journal produced by BirdsCaribbean.2015 has been a busy year for BirdsCaribbean’s peer-reviewed journal, the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology. The team put out the gorgeous special issue Birds of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, and are busy creating a complete digital archive of the journal which will be available for free on the journal’s web site. Even with all that, the JCO still found time to publish two additional research notes and a research article in 2015.
Three new species for Aruba, with notes on other significant sightings by Steven Mlodinow was the first research note, and includes the first documented sightings of the Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis), Swainson’s Flycatcher (Myiarchus swainsoni), and Veery (Catharus fuscescens), as well as sightings of seven other birds with fewer than five records for Aruba. This type of research underscores the value of observing and documenting bird life in the Caribbean, where our knowledge is increasing every year.
Reproductive biology of Polioptila lembeyei (Aves: Polioptilidae) in the Siboney-Juticí Ecological Reserve, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba is a research article about the Cuban Gnatcatcher, a species endemic to the island of Cuba. The team studied nests for two years to record data like the incubation and nestling periods, the number of eggs in each nest and the success rate. Although data like this has been known for many years for common species in North America and Europe, basic life history information for Caribbean endemics is often still unknown. The text of the article is in Spanish, but an abstract is available in English.
History of the Spotted Rail (Pardirallus maculatus) in Jamaica with first photographic documentation of breeding is another research note, this one following the history of a single species. After a sighting in the 19th century, the trail ran cold until the late 1970s, when a run of intermittent sightings began in a single area. Photographic documentation of breeding was finally obtained last year, while the size of the population and its relationship to other mainland and island populations of this species are still unknown.
All of these articles, and back issues to 2011 are currently available for free download at the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, with more archives on their way in the coming months.
Participants practicing how to use spotting scopes to identify distant birds. (Photo by Beny Wilson)
Say “Dominican Republic” and almost instantly the image that appears in one’s head is that of a long, straight and blinding white-sand beach on which an infinite stream of foamy crests come to end their journey across the blue-green Caribbean canvas. This mental picture has been implanted in our brains by thousands of magazine articles and television ads, and though beautiful, there is nothing particularly unique about it.
The setting of the most recent Caribbean Birding Trail Interpretive Guide Training in the Dominican Republic was the virtual opposite of this cookie cutter image of a sandy beach. This time the training was high up in the mountains—a scene like no other on the planet—in a valley surrounded by high ridges everywhere, and all around a tapestry of produce fields that extend as far as the eye can see. Rows of carrots, lettuce, potatoes, and strawberries carefully divide the land into small and big parcels. The air is chilled by the mountain breeze, enough to make us don our jackets and blow warm air into our cold hands. This, too, is the Dominican Republic, or La Española as the first Spaniards named it the last days of the 15th Century when they first arrived in these realms:
The land there is elevated, with many mountains and peaks incomparably higher than in the center isle. They are most beautiful, of a thousand varied forms, accessible, and full of trees of endless varieties, so high that they seem to touch the sky, and I have been told that they never lose their foliage. I saw them as green and lovely as trees are in Spain in the month of May. Some of them were covered with blossoms, some with fruit, and some in other conditions, according to their kind. The nightingale and other small birds of a thousand kinds were singing in the month of November when I was there.
After reading this paragraph from a letter sent by Christopher Columbus to Luis De Santangel in which he announced the discovery of new land, we are convinced that Columbus did in fact visit the area of Constanza and Valle Nuevo, or at least he visited a very similar mountain area not far from here, because this is exactly the feeling we had when we arrived for the third Caribbean Birding Trail Interpretive Guide Training program.
Endemics, like the Jamaican Oriole, abound in the Blue Mountains. (Photo by Steve Shunk)
Anyone who attended BirdsCaribbean’s 20th International Meeting in Jamaica will surely recognize Steven Shunk, one of the keynote speakers at the event and owner of Paradise Birding. We have partnered together to offer a special discount of $500 off on the upcoming Paradise Birding tour of Jamaica for any BirdsCaribbean members. Plus, Paradise Birding will also support our conservation work by making a $100 donation to BirdsCaribbean for each member who signs up.
What’s in it for you? The best possible birding tour of Jamaica, highlighting the 29 endemic bird species that are found only on Jamaica. The tour is February 8-15, 2016 and you can get all the info on the Paradise Birding website: Caribbean Endemics of Jamaica Birding Tour. The lead guide will be Steve Shunk, fresh from his visit this summer, and the full itinerary includes the Blue Mountains, Port Antonio, Ecclesdown Road and more. Former President of BirdLife Jamaica, and perhaps the best birding guide on the island, Ricardo Miller of Arrowhead Birding, will be our local guide in Jamaica.
The iconic Red-billed Streamertail is one of Jamaica’s most famous endemics. (Photo by Steve Shunk)Birding tourism has the potential to transform bird conservation in the Caribbean, by creating a market for birds and their habitats. BirdsCaribbean is working with our partners to tap into this potential through our Caribbean Birding Trail project and by working with birding tour operators in the region and beyond to showcase our unique bird diversity and create unforgettable experiences like the Paradise Birding Jamaica tour.
Head to Martinique in the latest edition of Caribbean BirdWatch.In every issue of ZiNG, LIAT’s in-flight magazine, Caribbean BirdWatch takes readers on a trip to a different Caribbean island to learn more about birds and the best spots to see them. In the Fall 2015 issue, our destination is Martinique, where we learn about the White-breasted Thrasher, which is found only on Martinique and St. Lucia. We also explore the top three birding sites on the island and relive the best birding moment for David Belfan, President of Association Carouge, which works to preserve the flora and fauna of Martinique.
We are just beginning to understand how important the Caribbean is to the Piping Plover. (Photo by Matt Jeffery)Every five years, hundreds of volunteers fan out over miles of coastal habitat to survey one of the most endangered shorebirds in the Western Hemisphere, the Piping Plover. We need your help to look for them and count them in the Caribbean!
The first International Census was conducted in 1991 but in the early years the winter census was focused in the southern U.S. and we were missing a lot of birds. It was a mystery whether birds were just harder to count in the winter, or migrating to sites not being surveyed. However, during the 2011 Census we discovered over 1,000 birds wintering in the Bahamas which likely represents about one-third of the Atlantic Coast breeding population.
We are just beginning to understand how important the Caribbean is to the Piping Plover and we hope to learn a lot more during the 2016 census. Fortuitously, the Piping Plover census coincides with the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) region-wide count period in winter (January 14th to February 3rd). By surveying coastal habitats that are favored by this species—including beaches, tidal flats, mangroves and mud flats—you can contribute to our understanding of the distribution and abundance of this species in the Caribbean.
Time to brush up on your plover identification skills! (Photo by Walker Golder)The official Piping Plover Census dates are January 18th to February 1st but we welcome surveys a week before or after the official window. In some cases a boat may be required to access habitat but surveys generally involve a simple walking transect, like the basic area search method for the Caribbean Waterbird Census. In addition to Piping Plovers we are also very interested in counting Snowy and Wilson’s Plovers. Piping Plovers are not typically found in vegetated wetlands and are not common in Salinas. Rather, they seem to prefer sand flats and are often found in association with bonefishing habitat. Hence, for some sites there may be tidal considerations in optimally timing your survey.
Please mark your calendars, think about potential habitat in your area, and brush up on your plover identification skills.
Instructions for submitting data online will be provided closer to the survey dates. However, if you would like to participate in the International Piping Plover Census or have any questions about the census please contact Elise Elliott-Smith (eelliott-smith@usgs.gov).
The Grenada Dove is just one of the endangered Caribbean species that depends on tropical dry forest habitat.You are invited to a free webinar on Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Tropical Dry Forests in the Caribbean and Grenada. The webinar takes place on Friday, November 13th from 9-11am EST.
With future climate change potentially threatening Tropical Dry Forests (TDFs) in Grenada and throughout the Caribbean with increased storm intensity, changes in rainfall patterns, increased drought intensity and fire risk, this CEPF-supported project is helping to improve planning and policy frameworks for managing TDFs in Grenada. The project seeks to develop policy and planning guidelines for adaptation to climate change’s impacts on Grenada’s TDFs. To identify the key policy challenges associated with management of these forests in the face of global climate change, the project team has developed computer simulations of TDF response to different climate change scenarios, and considered the implications in the context of current and management practices. The goal is to develop policy recommendations under different climate change scenarios, which local stakeholders can consider as they plan for the future of these dry forests in Grenada.
The webinar will be hosted by the University of Chester in collaboration with the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme and the Grenada Forestry and National Parks Department with technical assistance from a research team led by Dr. Howard P. Nelson of University of Chester. Although Grenada is the primary focus of the webinar, the subject matter is equally applicable to dry forests throughout the region.
Ingrid Flores, Regional Coordinator of IMBD Caribbean, takes students birding in a recently restored wetland habitat at the Pterocarpus Forest at Palmas del Mar.Tree plantings, seedling giveaways, and a free ebook about native Caribbean plants—none of these things sound like ways to celebrate migratory birds. But this year they are. Across the Caribbean and throughout the Western Hemisphere, International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) events have added habitat restoration activities to their programs, attracting new participants and taking action on this year’s theme: Restore Habitat, Restore Birds.
BirdsCaribbean, the regional coordinator of International Migratory Bird Day activities for the Caribbean, kicked of the season by providing habitat restoration resources. A free ebook, Heritage Plants, featured dozens of native Caribbean plants that are of particular value to local birds as well as techniques for creating a great backyard bird habitat. A free webinar, Native Plants for a Bird-Friendly Backyard, featured Caribbean bird, plant and habitat restoration experts.
Tree-planting was part of the program for Grupo Acción Ecológica in the Dominican Republic.At dozens of Caribbean events throughout the region the habitat restoration theme was explored in a variety of ways. In the Dominican Republic, Grupo Acción Ecológica collaborated with a botanical garden to host an event that combined a bird walk with bird-friendly tree plantings. On St. Martin, non-profit association Les Fruits de Mer distributed dozens of seedlings of an endangered, native tree called Lignum Vitae or Gaïac. The Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club created an interactive bird display at a local green market that featured materials from the BirdsCaribbean webinar. In Jamaica, students were taken on a birding excursion and then given a presentation about how to protect and restore habitat.
In Puerto Rico, students had the chance to see the results of habitat restoration firsthand at the Pterocarpus Forest at Palmas del Mar, a rare example of freshwater swamp forest. Abandoned and overgrown with invasive plants, this 50-acre habitat has been rehabilitated over the last four years into a nature preserve with a three-quarter mile elevated boardwalk and 40 foot bird observation platform. Ingrid Flores, Regional Coordinator of IMBD Caribbean explained that “the students learned how habitat restoration helps migratory birds, and how it creates valuable public space for recreation and education.”
What kind of bird is that? Students of Denham Town Primary with a little help from resident bird expert at National Environment & Planning Agency, Ricardo Miller (second left) were able to identify 5 species of birds at the Old Coal Wharf in the Palisadoes Port Royal Protected Area as part of a bird count held recently in celebration of International Migratory Bird Day, October 9.“BirdsCaribbean has always used birds as a way to connect people to nature, and this year we’ve found that native plants and trees can also play the same role,” explained BirdsCaribbean Executive Director Lisa Sorenson. “By incorporating habitat restoration into our activities this year we’ve reached a whole new group of people who connect to nature primarily through plants. We’ve shared a lot about birds and learned a lot about plants in the process.”
BirdsCaribbean has been the regional coordinator for International Migratory Bird Day activities for eight years. Centered around the month of October—peak season for migratory birds in the Caribbean—approximately 40,000 people participate in these events each year. Learn more, download the Heritage Plants ebook and watch the native plants webinar, right here at birdscaribbean.org. IMBD activities across the Western Hemisphere are coordinated by Environment for the Americas (EFTA).
Ashton Lagoon will be the site of a massive restoration project. (Photo by Gregg Moore)
A long-awaited moment of renewed hope came for the people of Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines last month with the launch of the Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project. The largest bay in the Grenadines, Ashton Lagoon included the largest mangrove habitat on the island and had long been a popular fishing and recreational area for local families. Seriously damaged by a failed marina development 20 years ago, on-the-ground work has now begun to restore the lagoon.
The launch event, organized by the Sustainable Grenadines Inc. (SusGren), a local non-profit conservation organization, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Transformation, Forestry, Fisheries and Industry saw more than 100 people in attendance representing various sectors of the island community and government departments and ministries.
The launch ceremony featured brief remarks from supporting agencies and a large billboard showing the vision for the restored Ashton area. The road to this new beginning was rocky and challenging, but amidst the many obstacles encountered along the way SusGren remained optimistic. They have been the driving force behind this initiative with support from BirdsCaribbean, championing the cause for restoration efforts for over 10 years.
An aerial view of Ashton Lagoon in 2004 shows how the failed marina disrupted the natural water flow. (Photo by Michele Kading)
“The process, which involved lobbying with government for permission to proceed and holding talks with various government agencies and donors, was long but we never gave up, and we are happy to have received permission from Cabinet earlier this year,” said Mr. Martin Barriteau, Special Advisor to SusGren.
The Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project was initiated as a result of the negative environmental impacts caused by a failed marina development in 1994. The Marina Project proposed to join Frigate Rock to Union Island, construct a 300-berth marina, a golf course in the mangrove area, and large condominiums, but was abandoned in 1995. Not all local people were in favor of the project, which destroyed pristine marine habitats, vital to the livelihoods of local fishers and enjoyed by tourists and locals alike.
Ashton Lagoon, located on the south coast of Union Island in the Grenadines, is the largest bay in the Grenadines and was unique in that it contained all the primary components of a mangrove/seagrass/coral reef ecosystem, including a long stretch of outer reefs, a shallow protected inner lagoon, abundant seagrass beds within the lagoon, tidal mud flats, salt ponds, and the largest continuous mangrove habitat in the region. Because of its rich biological diversity and ecological importance for the entire coast of Union Island, the lagoon was designated a Marine Conservation Area and protected under The Fisheries Act of 1986. The area was also designated an Important Birding Area (IBA), supporting a large variety of resident and migratory herons, egrets, shorebirds, seabirds and landbirds.
Mr. Martin Baritteau addresses the crowd at the launch ceremony in Union Island.
Despite its protected status, a foreign developer was given permission to proceed with the project. An environmental assessment pointed out that the development would cut off water circulation to the bay, causing catastrophic damage to reefs, seagrasses and fisheries. Nevertheless the project proceeded, with exactly the predicted results. After dredging the lagoon and building the causeways and marina berths, the developer went bankrupt and disappeared, leaving behind the damaged bay.
Impacts from the failed development included stagnant polluted water in the lagoon and marked declines in marine life and the health of the mangrove. It was not just the news of a failed marina that troubled the islanders but the glaring sight of, “the worst environmental disaster in all of St.Vincent and the Grenadines” said Director of Grenadines Affairs, Mr. Edwin Snagg.
The once fishing haven was no more, the family fun areas for picnicking and swimming were gone also, the passage way to ease fishers journey to their fishing grounds was cut off, and the calm turquoise waters of the lagoon where coconut and gum boats once sailed were now murky and stagnant.
